Cory Washburne
by Kaylee Tam
Summary: 17 years Zoe's been hiding a secret son under her skirts. She and Wash had hooked up at a party a long time before they actually 'met', and now his invisibility ring shorts out How will the cre w react to this newcomer? Takes place after Serenity
1. The New Boy

"We should reach Whitefall in about four days."

Everyone was gathered around on the bridge, talking about a job they were about to do. Mal was the one talking, just having gotten up from the pilot's seat. Only a year since Wash died, little dinosaurs and palm trees still littered the console.

"When we get the-" Mal had started a scentence which would have continued a lot farther if he hadn't been interrupted by River's incessant laughter.

"What's so funny?" Jayne said, staring in the direction River was looking. Seeing nothing, he dismissed the laughter as some craziness factor. River was laughing so hard she had forgotten anyone were around. She clutched at her chest, short of breath and hair raining down her face. Her mouth was open in a large, wide smile.

Everyone stared at her.

She looked around. Mal looked confused, Jayne was completely convinced River was crazy, and Kaylee looked a little worried. Zoe looked at her and the blank air next to her with concern. River ceased laughing, too quickly to actually stop, and started to edge out of the room. Suddenly she started up again.

Simon walked in, about to ask the captain about something, when he saw everyone staring at his little sister. River was trying to stop laughing, but failing miserably. She continued to edge out of the room.

Her laughter settled down a lot at once, like someone turning down the fire on a stove. "It's broken," she said, looking at empty space. Zoe looked at River in confusion. But suddenly, the air in front of River wasn't so empty anymore. Everyone but River and Zoe jumped back, breath caught in their throats, looking at the newcomer.

He was a boy. He was about River's age, and he had dirty blonde hair and amber eyes. He had a goofy grin on his face as he looked around at everyone. He was wearing baggy clothes and his hands were stuck in his pockets.

He looked down at his hand. Zoe walked over to him. Much to everyone's surprise, she held up his hand like the map to an unexplored area, examining one of his fingers. "Why doesn't it work?" he said to Zoe, his eyes darting between her and his silvery-blue ring. "It's been working just fine my whole life."

"I don't know. River?"

"Some things broke just can't be fixed," River said, imitating Kaylee, who, like Mal, Jayne, and Simon, looked completely lost and confused. Hating this state of helplessness, Mal piped up.

"Who is this?" he asked, looking at Zoe and pointing at the boy.

Zoe looked up at Mal, then to the once-nonexistent boy. She looked cornered. Sighing, she hesitantly replied:

"Sir, this is my son."


	2. Cory Washburne

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after Serenity so yeah HUGE spoiler alert

AUTHOR'S SECOND NOTE: The Child Reclamation Act is not my original idea, nor is Firefly or Zoe or Wash but Cory is. . Besides the fact that my friend named him and we both came up with him and whatever…

The whole crew gathered in the dining room, impatiently waiting for an explanation. The blonde boy stood in the corner with River, his long bangs covering one of his eyes. Zoe stood at the head of the table, her hands folded.

"Cory has been my son for the seventeen years he's been in the 'verse. Me and-"

"But how?" interrupted Jayne. Zoe gave him a newly concocted I-was-just-about-to-explain look as Mal rubbed his forehead impatiently.

"Me and Wash met up at a party of some sort one day, and it was purely by chance we ended up working together on this ship. I wanted to keep Cory safe, because of the Child Reclamation Act. Since they wanted to take the children of criminals, I had to keep him invisible by spending most of my savings on his InvisiRing, which River told us now can't be fixed."

"So, he's been here through the war? Ever since I bought this gorram ship?" Mal said, nearly standing up. He'd never imagined Zoe would keep something like this from him.

"Well, sir, after the Child Reclamation Act, it was too late for me to let him be visible and just pop him into your life. One thing followed another and here we are."

"Where's he been sleepin'?" Kaylee piped up, a confused look on her face. Feeling it was time he said something, Cory responded.

"I've been using the spare passenger bunk. I make the bed every morning so nobody notices."

"How did you get fed?"

"Mom and Dad slipped me things from the table."

The crew sat in silence for a while as they got over the fact that someone just called Zoe 'Mom'. Mal was also wondering why they stole from him.

"How was it River knew…" Simon started, but he had answered his own question before it was finished. "How could you see him?" Simon directed the question to Zoe.

"How those things work, is whoever has worn the ring can see anyone else who's wearing it." Zoe hesitated, the blank look on Jayne's face forcing her to reword her sentence. "I've worn the ring before and so I can see whoever else is wearing it,"

"But how…"

"Don't ask me how it works Jayne; even I didn't understand."

"Oh." Jayne said

The crew sat in silence taking in the information they had just been told. Kaylee shifted in her seat, disturbed by the silence, while Mal just sat there thinking, Jayne looked confused as ever but there was no other way the story could be explained, Simon stood there looking at 'Cory' and just realized that River, who was standing to the right of Cory, had interlocked her left arm with Cory's right with her head resting on his shoulder, eyes half closed.

Simon was wondering why River had her head on Cory's shoulder. He was about to speak up but was interrupted by River standing up straight, un-interlocking her arm with Cory's and turning gracefully around to start walking back to the bridge to correct their course.


	3. River's Boy

"So, did Wash know?" Simon asked, his eyes following his little sister as the door closed behind her.

"Of course," Zoe said.

The crew sat there thinking. No one knew exactly what to say about 'Cory'; or as a matter of fact what to do with him.

"So," Jayne started, "What do we do with the boy."

"We could always leave him on Whitefall." Mal stated.

"No," Zoe immediately responded, "We are not leaving my boy on some planet."

Never in Mal's life, or at least as long as he knew Zoe, had she ever talked back to him.

As he thought about how he should confront this Mal didn't hear Kaylee arguing with Jayne that they couldn't just leave Cory somewhere on another planet where Zoe probably wouldn't be able to see him for months or maybe even years. Then, Cory piped up.

"You know I have an opinion, too." he said, obviously annoyed with the fact that no one had asked about it. "How 'bout I stay here for a while, and help out. I can help you're your jobs, and help Kaylee fix things, and when Mal is busy, help River fly the ship."

"Can he fight?" Jayne asked, question directed toward Zoe. His face suddenly got cheery.

"Yes, I can fight. I've been practicing-"

"WHAT?"

Zoe didn't know about her son with any weapons, and she didn't incline to it.

"I don't like the idea of my baby in any fight."

"It's okay, Mom. I've been practicing with knives, fists and guns all my life."

"All your _LIFE_?"

"Yeah, I-"

"What sorta guns?" Jayne interrupted, having missed the entire conversation after the word 'guns'. He looked forward to chatting with the new kid, now.

"Well, during the war, I came across snipers, pistols, machine guns, and a rocket launcher or two and I-"

"During the war, _honey_," Zoe said the word like a snake spitting its accidentally-swallowed venom, "you were _supposed_ to stay put." She didn't like where this conversation was going, and she was going to try to get Cory alone in his room for a little _talk._

"Well, I got all kinda guns n' knives n' such in my bunk. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two about 'em?" Jayne looked excited. He really wanted to teach the ways of weaponry to a youngster.

"Sure!" was Cory's hyper reply.

"Wait, maybe Cory shouldn't be handling stuff like that. He's only, what, fifteen?" Kaylee said, a worried expression on her face.

"Seventeen," Cory corrected.

Mal was still trying to get over the whole hidden-guy-on-my-boat-for-all-the-years-I-had-her thing.

"Wait, why was River hugging you like that?" Simon spurted out, his mind racing as he finally got the question across he'd been waiting to ask all along.

"Well, River and I-"

"I'm his girlfriend." River entered the room again, content with the ship being on the correct course again. She was mildly surprised the Captain didn't notice anything, but when she passed by him she saw his mind swimming in circles, just like the ring. She continued walking over to Cory, holding his hand when she got there. Cory blushed a dark crimson.

Zoe was continually upset by her son and his 'accomplishments'.

"You're his _what_?!" Simon said, uncrossing his arms. He looked skeptically at Cory. "You didn't-"

"Of course not." River looked at her brother like he was as crazy as she was.

Jayne, trying to be sneaky, but failing miserably, stole Cory and started to drag him to his bunk. He was all-too-eager to start teaching him stuff. The only downfall was that River was following. Suddenly, Zoe was in the way.

"Where are you going?" she said, a commanding look in her eye.

"I'm taking my new apparentise to his first lesson," Jayne said calmly, shoving her out of the way. She was shocked. Was her new 'mother' look wearing down her toughness?


	4. Jayne's Apprentice

"Come on boy," Jayne said, "Let's get on wit your trainin'."

After gathering some guns and throwing knives, Jayne and Cory set up some bull's-eyes in the cargo bay. Serenity had landed on Whitefall, and, miraculously, Inara had found a client here last time they came. She was coming back to the ship when she saw Jayne with his arms around Cory, showing him how to hold a machine gun properly.

Her face was frozen in fear. "Who is that?" she asked.

"Cory," said Jayne distractedly, "He's my new apparantise."

"Your apprentice?" Inara looked even more frightened. "Can you even teach? Why did you invite someone on board without Mal's permission? He wouldn't allow this!"

"He would if it's Zoe's son we're talking about," Jayne replied. Cory blushed.

"Zoe's _what?_"

It was luck that brought Zoe into the room right then. "My what?"

Cory looked at both of the women and wrenched from Jayne's grasp.

"Mom, Inara was-"

"Oh, right."

Inara looked puzzled. Had she blacked out and missed, what, twelve whole years of Serenity life?

Zoe put her arm around Inara, and started to explain as she hustled her out of the room. River snuck in to watch the lesson, unbeknownst to student and teacher. Jayne put his arm around Cory again.

"An' you put your eye to the magnifier," Jayne continued from his earlier lesson, "An' make sure your aim is right before you pull the trigger."

A loud ring reverberated throughout the cargo bay as a few shots were fired through the bull's-eye and into the bullet-proof sheet behind it.

"Well, I guess that's enough for the machine guns." Jayne looked a little down. "Tomorrow you'll learn the art of throwing knives."

"Throwing? I didn't know you could throw knives," Cory said, having seen no use of hacking at someone with a knife when guns were around. Jayne looked a little more excited. River took this as an opportunity to enter.

She gave Cory a little peck on the lips and left. Jayne shuddered.

"Boy just what do you see in that crazy girl?" Jayne asked.

Cory looked like he'd been slapped across the face. "Why do ask that, can't you see it, see why?"

"If I knew would I be askin'?"

Cory sighed, a dreamy expression on his face.

"She's wonderful. She's smart, she's funny…"

"Yeah, if you like long rants and words no one can understand except the Doc and the moonbrain herself." Jayne snorted

"She's no moonbrain. She's kind and sweet and, can I use these?" Cory asked seeing the weights and lying down on the bench Shepard Book always used.

Jayne nodded.

Cory started lifting the weights with ease. "She's easy to understand, simple and complex all at the same time…"

"Alright, alright just hush up boy I didn't want to hear the whole story," Jayne said cutting Cory off.

Cory smiled to himself. He knew what Jayne meant; he just wanted to mess with him. After all, he was Zoe's kid; therefore Jayne couldn't hurt him without, later on, being beat by Zoe.

"Where did you get to lifting weights like that?" Jayne asked half surprised that only one drop of sweat was on the boy's brow.

"Almost every night I come out and lift a few sets, only Book's though because I'm not strong enough yet to try yours." Cory said giving Jayne a goofy smile that reminded Jayne strongly of Wash.

Wow this boy sure reminded Jayne of Wash. He had the same twinkle in his eyes, the same goofy smile, the same everything. There was only one thing that someone could plainly see how Cory was related to Zoe; and that was his ability to fight with a fire-arm.

"Gorramit boy, it's late we have to lay down for while. I don't need you bein' tired tomorrow, apperen-ta-tena… whatever." Jayne said leaving and walking through the doors to his bunk leaving the boy to walk to his own quarters alone.


	5. The Job

"All right boy," Jayne said looking at Cory

"Yes?"

"Ready for your first job?"

"Of course!" Cory said.

His eyes lit up at the mention of a job. Cory didn't expect to be let on this fast.

"Hold a minute, there," a voice said from behind Cory.

"Mal," Jayne whined. He was not happy because he already knew what Mal was going to say.

"He can't come."

"Why not?" Cory asked the light in his eyes quickly diminishing the second he heard that.

"Mule can't hold five." A sad voice declared from behind Mal. River was upset because she can come but Cory can't. It had been this way for the past year, and she didn't like it, not one bit.

"That's right, see even our little albatross knows that it's to far from the ship so we have to get the mule. Which, as she just said, can't hold five; ain't that right, River."

At the mention of it being too far River's sad mood immediately dissipated.

"Not true," River said, happy to prove her captain wrong.

"What?" Mal said, his I'm-the-captain-and-no-one-can-prove-me-wrong look disappearing.

"Never said we were too far, just said the mule couldn't hold five. We can walk; it's just one-quarter of a mile, you'll live." River said a look of certainty on her face. She darted out of the cargo bay. There was a moment of confused silence.

"See," River said, with a map in her hand, "we're not far."

"All right, all right," Mal said knowing he had been proven wrong, again, "He can come."

Mal had expected a lot of complaining to come from Cory while they were walking and was very surprised that he didn't complain or mutter about anything. Instead Cory had gone to helping them; he pulled branches aside for everyone and seemed to know exactly where they were going.

"Captain," Mal heard a voice come up beside him.

"Yes Zoe?" Mal asked his first mate.

"Why didn't you tell me that my _son_ was coming?"

"I have my reasons," Mal said. Zoe gave him a look as if to say "You can do better than _that_." It caused him to sigh. "I trust that your boy won't get in the way of our job, and it's a way for me to see just how helpful he can be, _dong ma_?"

"Yes sir," Zoe said.

"Hey you two stop your talkin' and come on. We're here," Jayne said from ahead of them.

River and Cory were standing together waiting, Cory's hands were in his pockets and River was looking around as if she was taking in all her surroundings. Jayne however did not look so calm. He was standing in the doorway an annoyed expression on his face.

"So Mal what do we have to do?" Jayne said anxious to get started.

"Just walk in and ask for a Mr. Garner."

"That's it?" Jayne sounded disappointed.

"Of course not we have to find Mr. Garner and he'll give us the pay to give to Badger but this place where he is, that we're standing in front of right now is crawling with assassins, Alliance operatives, security, and people who have guns and aren't afraid to use them, all with one major thing in common. The want for a reward even if it means killin' folk that look like they could be a criminal; which only worries me because that operative we met up with few months back may have told us no one was looking for the Tams anymore but that don't mean they won't try to kill them and anyone near them." Mal said.

"So…?" Jayne said.

"So River and someone have to stay out here so they don't cause a ruckus."

"I'll stay." Cory said immediately.

Zoe looked at her son, worried he was getting ideas but stopped worrying because the look on his face told her that he wasn't messing around. She had forgotten how well he could play poker.

"Good, let's go." Mal said.


	6. Mr Garner

Getting in to find Mr. Garner was easy. He was in the back room sitting at a table.

"Ah, Mal so good to meet you I was told you were coming." Mr. Garner said shaking Mal's hand, "Please take a seat."

"Nice to see you too," Mal said his manners switching on immediately, "What's the reason for all the security?" Mal asked trying to sound like he didn't care as he sat down.

"Protective reasons you know, with all these fighters and alcohol you know what can happen." Mr. Garner said.

"Yes, yes. Now down to business, my employer sent me here to pick up some money that you were keeping for him."

"Of course, of course," Garner said snapping his fingers. A guard walked up and set the money down in front of Mal. "You'll see it's all there. Now I expect you might want to be going to give that money to him."

"Thank you." Mal said. Things never went down this easy and Mal was very nervous. "Now we'll be on our merry." He said fake-happily as he stood up.

Starting to walk away he heard Garner chuckle, "I knew it would be easy, but not this easy." He snapped his fingers and all of a sudden Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were all surrounded by guards pointing guns at them. "Take their weapons." Garner ordered

"It's not as easy as you think," Mal said an attempt at a bluff while setting down his weapons, "We have people outside, lots. All of them trained for situations like this and they…"

"Oh, you mean the boy and girl. We got them the second you walked in. It was tough though the girl seemed to know we were there already but she didn't do much of anything to escape and the boy... I believe he's still fighting against them."

At another snap of the fingers four men came in holding River and Cory. River calmly walked with the two men holding her while Cory struggled against the two men holding him.

Garner walked over to them and looked at each of them in turn.

"So, this was your back up a wormy little boy and a scrawny little girl. I'm disappointed, from your reputation Mr. Malcolm Reynolds I would think you would do better."

At the mention of being called wormy, a quick look of anger went over Cory's face. Wormy?

"Why can't you be more like her boy and not struggle? Your death will be less painful if you do." Garner said putting one hand on River's cheek.

This, however only caused Cory to struggle even more and River had somehow been able to keep her face passive even as Mr. Garner ran his hand from her cheek down her arm to her waist and kept it there.

Cory looked horrified about the fact she just stood there and took it. Secretly, he was also a little jealous.

Zoe sent her son a look of sympathy as he struggled so much that an extra person had to come and help the others keep ahold of him. She knew about how much agony he must be going through seeing his girlfriend being touched like that and him not being able to stop Mr. Garner; but Zoe knew River would never do this unless she had a plan.

She did. River let Garner keep his hand on her waist letting him feel a false sense of security that she would be willing to do whatever he wanted to do with her.

"You wish," River whispered loud enough for Mr. Garner to hear giving him that bone chilling smile.

"Excuse me?" he asked. Only fast enough to feel the bones in his arm snap and pop in pain. He stumbled back his face contorted with pain. He didn't stumbleeHeH far enough, as he found out when he was hit with a forceful kick by a bony leg.

All of the gaurds came rushing to stop the girl and boy as they both beat down guard after guard, everyone that is except for five of the people surrounding Mal, Zoe, and Jayne.

River knew that she was doing well but she also knew that she must not have been good enough; the captain, Zoe, and Jayne were still surrounded and Cory was being sent more than he could handle. As if to stop it she quickly did the splits to duck under the two men trying to sneak up on her, took their guns and shot them. She threw Cory a gun.

Cory knew there was no way he could fight all the guards off unless he had a gun. Just as he thought the word a gun landed in front of him, he didn't second guess the situation but instead grabbed it and started shooting.

Zoe was surprised at how well River and Cory worked together. As soon as River passed Cory a gun she blinked heard a bunch of rounds fired and opened her eyes. Cory and River stood there breathing hard.

"We have…to…go" Cory said trying to get his breathing back in order. He rushed over and grabbed River's arm.

They paused as Mr. Garner started to stir.

"We have to go now." River said urgently.

"What's wrong…" Mal started.

"Out the back exit, go!" River practically screamed, she knew something was going to happen and she didn't want it to, "Go!" she screamed again.

This time everyone listened and ran out. Cory was last and tried to run just as fast as River to ask what was wrong. By the time he got to her he realized what she meant.

"No one gets away from me!" Mr. Garner yelled.

River stopped turned around and fired one well placed shot to his heart; but not before he shot three of his own. River felt a little pain as a bullet grazed her shoulder. She ignored it as she shot some more rounds to make sure the satan was dead.

Suddenly, blinding pain filled her shoulder and her gut. She was only bleeding from her graze wound. She turned around quickly.

"Jayne! She called. He was too far away.

"JAYNE!" she yelled again, kneeling on the ground.

Cory lay struggling on the floor, blood seeping out of his two wounds. All he could think about was getting River away from the monster, because his mind was too gummed up with pain to put together the fact that Mr. Garner was dead.

Jayne came rushing. "What is it, girl?" He sounded aggravated.

"Get Simon!"


End file.
